All Along
by vegand3
Summary: She tried to forget how it all happened. All those events that led her straight to his arms. But she couldn't, because she remembered. But lately, she begun to remember someone else had been there too. Rated M for language and future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. They all belong to the J.K. Rowling. But maybe I'll add some extras. **

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

_He's here… and I'm here._

She kept on walking, listening to the sound of their heels on the wooden floor as she and her assistant, Claire, walked to the doors that led to the huge waiting room. When Ginny had hired the decorator for the entire building she had requested only one thing: one room with big sofas, a large TV screen and a bar. After all, she was only 19 back then. As they entered she took in the city through the huge window. It looked beautiful from the 22nd floor. She had always loved the city, and she knew she always would.

Slowly, she approached the couch that faced the window, and the man that sat there. She could almost feel his self-confidence filling the room: in the way he had one ankle over the other leg's knee, in the way he held his drink. Honestly, it made her want to throw up. Funny how something you loved about a person could become his worse defect in just seconds.

"Harry" Ginny said as she oh-so-gently put her hand in his shoulder.

He spun around, and she had to make an effort to stop herself from smirking. Instead, she focused on looking straight into his eyes and keeping an expressionless face. It was hard considering she wanted to hit him with a heavy thing, like a pickup truck. Now, of course she wouldn't hurt him for real. Her style was more like paying someone else to do that.

After a few seconds of staring at her, he stood up, stumbling just a little, showing for the first time how surprised he was to see her. Of course he was surprised! He had showed up at her office, well more like her building, asking for her number, her email, anything to be able to contact her, Claire said he was desperate. She had been avoiding him ever since their big fight at their old house, here in London. It was the first time they were face to face. Of course then she had yelled and cried like a… well, it hadn't been pretty. She didn't want him to see how hurt she was back then, so she even sent the divorce papers through the mail. This was exactly why some hours ago, after getting a call from Claire, she had decided to appear all the way from Turkey, but of course she kept him waiting for a few hours. He thought she had been in some crazy tour of Asia and Eastern Europe for the last 7 years, not putting one foot in England ever since. The truth was, Ginny loved her country too much to stay away, she had been coming frequently all the time, and she just never thought he should know. But now, maybe she could torture him. Just a little.

"Ginny" he took her in, and she was glad she had dressed up today. Then she realized her though and got a grip. She hated him, she reminded herself. He had broken her heart. But she could still see why she had married him in the first place.

"What are… I thought you weren't…" he mumbled.

Patience was NOT on her quality list, so she just cut him off before he could utter more unfinished questions. He thought she was in an unreachable Asian village? Well, she wasn't.

"I heard you were trying to contact me" she said as she smoothly sat down. She motioned to Claire that she could go and do whatever it was she did on her free time.

"Em, yes…" he said, and then he got his tongue back, and Ginny regretted not having teased him enough when she had a chance. "Eleanor and I wanted to talk…"

While he said the last phrase he gestured to the bar, and Ginny saw for the first time the tiny, pathetic figure sitting there, so small she hadn't even noticed her.

"Oh, I'm sorry Ellie. Didn't see you over there!" She walked to the bar and leaned towards Ellie, kissing her on the chick. The poor thing was extremely surprised by the gesture. "How are you?"

Without waiting for an answer, she went back to her seat at the couch and looked expectantly at them. Truth was, she had felt it was time to see these too again and stop hiding. But knowing that didn't make everything easier.

"I thought you were halfway around the world" Harry said, almost accusingly.

"Well, I WAS. But you know how much fun I have doing business in Britain. I just can't resist coming back a few times a year"

"I'm glad you're here" he responded, now getting his bravado back. "I want to talk to you about our house, the one here in London"

"What about it?" Ginny asked nonchalantly.

"Ellie and I are planning on coming back. And I want to live in there"

Well, that was a shocker. And a completely ridiculous idea. It was her house! How could he even suggest it? Most of their marriage was spent in that house. He was such a hypocrite.

But, oh shit! It wasn't even her house anymore, was it? She smirked internally remembering. Who would've known giving the house to Percy as a wedding gift would turn to be such a good idea?

She raised her eyebrows, gathered herself and managed to look him in the eye and say in a completely innocent tone. "Well, you know I'd love to, but the house isn't mine anymore"

A not-so-innocent smile managed to escape her lips. "I gave it to my brother and his wife" then she added as she took in his incredulous face. "Well, you know, we didn't grow up there, but it's one of the few places we could call home. So I thought Percy shouldn't worry about finding a place for his family "

The part about how she would've _loooved_ to give him the house was bullshit, the part about it being her home, not so much. She couldn't help it but she remembered how it had been then, when her business was barely starting to rise she bought the place and she used to date a lot of guys, although, now that she gave it a second thought, most of those guys had been mere one night stands. But one of her rules was not bringing flings to the house, and when she met Harry, she remembered, she knew she wanted to bring him home, she wanted him to wake up in her bed, for as long as she could keep him. Even if it weren't Percy's, she would've never even considered for one second giving the house to her ex-husband and his new pregnant wife. She couldn't even look at her for too long, so it was a relief she was such a plain, quiet thing, sitting in the corner, agreeing with her husband.

Just then she realized Harry had been speaking when she took a trip through memory AND hater lane. Oops!

"Listen, Harry. I'm sorry. But it's his place now. And I offered you the house a long time ago. You didn't think I'd just leave it, right? I took care of everything before leaving the country"

That was half true, when Ginny offered him the house, they were happily married, and she though it could be owned by them, as a couple.

"More like fleeing…" he remarked.

Then it took all of her anger management tricks not to ask security to escort them out. Who did he think he was? What was he trying to say? He couldn't blame her for wanting to leave him behind! Besides, why were they even moving? Had life in Scotland suddenly become too boring for the great Harry Potter? Couldn't they just buy a new house? Maybe some place where she didn't have her most precious memories of the last ten years would be nice?

She wanted to ask, but finally didn't. She really didn't care anymore. Harry could go and have babies in Cuba for all she cared. It was no longer her problem.

But still she looked and him and couldn't help feeling dumped. She had given him her everything! Back then, she defied every single person who warned her not to marry him, everyone said she was too young, he was too hurt by the war, that she should think things over, and for 10 years, she had stood by him, certain that they were in love, that they would grow old together, that nothing could change the way they felt, that their vows had meant something. So here she was now, 34 years old, in the building she had raised for her empire so many years ago, when everything was new and shiny in her life, looking at the man who had sworn to love her forever, but somehow hadn't, and she tried to forget how it all happened. All those events that led her straight to his arms... But she couldn't.

Because she remembered. Oh, she remembered all right.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks a lot for all the reviews! Isn't feedback amazing? But now I feel kind of… responsible. I don't know if I like it. But I'll just keep on writing.

P.S. I'm so sorry about the grammar mistakes (thanks IceDragonsFlame!).

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. They all belong to the J.K. Rowling. But maybe I'll add some extras. **

Chapter Two

It was two weeks before training started and she couldn't bring herself to crawl out of bed. She had no idea how the summer had gone by so fast just as she had no idea how she still felt so empty.

Everyone had lied.

After her father died, they said time would make her heal. But that didn't happen, she just learned to live around it, she had to learn how to live with the hole in her heart. Still, some days she wanted to remember, she took her memories out and tried to find new, undiscovered ones, and it hurt. Other days, it just came out of nowhere, the pain, and it hurt worse. And now, it was the same, multiplied by a thousand, and then again by two.

After having instant soup and coffee for "breakfast" (at 1 in the afternoon) she sunk back to her bed and thought maybe she should order some chinese, then she remember how she'd destroyed her phone.

"Shit" her once long red locks were sprayed on her pillow, her face buried in the white sheets. She was getting hungry.

_Maybe there is something in the fridge? _She thought hopefully.

_Maybe you trashed the fridge with the rest of your flat?_ Her inner voice answered sarcastically.

"Shit" she sank again. She was hoping her apartment had magically rearranged itself. But of course, it hadn't. One thing was being a witch and other was having your heart's desire come true. Right now, her heart's desire was some food.

She drifted into sleep again.

And was awakened two hours later by a loud banging in the door.

Agghh… who dares disrupt my sleep? She thought grumpily, remembering the ogres in fairy tales. She felt very ogre-ish right now.

She rose from her bead and looked around. There were clothes everywhere. Actually, she had sort of slept in a pile of skirts in her bed. There were bras hanging in the closet door. And that was just her room. She peeked at the kitchen, which looked like a picture from a house that had just been through a hurricane or an angry guy with a saw. Maybe both.

The rest of the apartment was clean, but only because she had disposed of the destroyed furniture, so now it looked like she just moved in or was caught up in the process of getting out.

All the way to the door she had hoped this person would grow tired and leave. Instead, all the way to the door, the banging just grew louder and louder. He could've been there for hours, she slept like the dead, it was a miracle she'd heard this person at all.

Ginny opened the door, only half conscious of what she was doing.

"Miss Weasley" said a strong masculine voice immediately.

"Obviously" she answered pointing to her flaming red hair, which, now that she thought about it was sticking out in every direction. Had it been long like before, it could probably look decent, but short as it was, she figured she looked like a crazy woman.

"I represent Mrs. Prewett's lawyers"

"Huh?" she managed to say looking up for the first time and leaning on the door frame.

"Well, we've been trying to reach you since the funeral, but you've been most… occupied. Obviously." He said in a tone so sarcastic it was almost mockery, taking a look at her surroundings.

Who did this guy though he was? Making fun of her in her own house.

_Wait, what did he say?_

"You do know my mom stopped using her single name eons ago, right?"

"Erm…"

That seemed to throw the guy unbalanced.

"I mean Mrs. Muriel Prewett's funeral" That came out almost a question.

"Wait. WHAT?"

Now Ginny was wide awake. For the first time in four days.

"Listen" the guy said "I really have work to do"

Ginny's frown grew deeper.

_Then why can't he leave me alone?_

"The reading of her will will be held tomorrow. Here's all the information you need. We've been delaying this because YOU have to be there. I've heard you're in some kind of shock but it's really I-M-P-O-R-T-A-N-T, other people depend on your presence, alright?"

"Are you trying to tell me my Aunt Muriel has died?"

Now he blinked, really taken back.

"Yeah" his tone seemed more pitiful than mocking now. "She had heart issues. I understand your family had been seeing this coming for months."

_Hmm… I sure as hell didn't._

"I have no family" she quickly answered and started closing the door. The she thought better and grabbed the envelope he held in his hand. "And I'll be there"

She closed the door.

_Why did I set my alarm for 7 AM?_ She asked herself, hitting the snooze button.

_It had something to do with…. Oh, Nevermind._

Then she remembered and sat up straight. Then she threw herself over to the floor to fully wake up.

Hey, she was known for sleeping late even when there were important/extremely urgent things to do, like finals.

She emptied her shower from the shoe boxes that had somehow piled in the tub, as she thought to herself that maybe she should open a reciclyng center with all of the raw materials spread around her flat. Carton, glass, some melted metal. She kicked her pants of and tried to strip while looking for the shower curtain. It had to be near, right?

_Yeah, near but in pieces_. Her sarcastic inner self murmured when she spotted a piece of plastic that once hung in her bathroom.

"Screw the curtain"

When she left a completely soaked bathroom she faced a new challenge: clean clothes.

After ten minutes of frantically searching and at the same time putting some order (by throwing stuff into piles: skirts, jeans, blouses, dresses, other), she gave up and began looking for her wand instead. She used it, what? Three weeks ago? So it had to be there, somewhere.

She started retracing her steps, which was hard enough because she'd done the same stuff everyday: sleep, wake up, eat, sleep. More or less in that order.

Then she remembered something, something that had been bothering her since her unexpected visit yesterday.

The jerk, the lawyer guy, he was Draco Malfoy.

_Just great! I'm dealing with the devil's advocate._

She came through the door exactly when the clock pointed 11AM.

Talk about timing.

A closer look confirmed to Neville what he'd guessed at Mrs. Weasley's funeral: Ginny would never be the same. The Ginny Weasley that came through the doors wore a grim, serious look that would've looked silly in her face a few months ago. She was wearing a black outfit and when the old lawyer stood up and called her Miss Ginevra, somehow the name suited her.

Neville couldn't help but remember when in second year that same girl told her she felt her name was too much for her. Today it just fit.

Ginny took a seat in a chair next to him, giving him a little smile.

Then the lawyer who had greeted her started shuffling his papers as he ordered the door to be closed and his assistant moved a tray around offering tea. There was a plaque the length of the wall that read "Wites & Associates"

"How are you, Gin?" He whispered after a few uncomfortable minutes.

She looked straight at him, and he knew she could read him, just as he read her. That's what friends do after a certain years together, they just know how you feel with one look, and know what you mean even when you haven't said a thing.

Her look meant to say she would be fine, eventually.

"I have asked you all to be here to fulfill Mrs. Prewett's desires. I know some of you have been busy, so I am grateful you could be here"

In this pause some people glared at Ginny. There were a few distant cousins in the room, as well as some old _ooold _ladies. There was only one Weasley in the room, and he wondered how could someone live so much with so little friends.

The old lawyer, Wites, started reading the will. Neville had been to many readings since he'd been an intern in the law firm for a year, and even more after he'd began working there.

"The jewelry and paintings, as well as the shih-tzu…" continued Wites "…to lovely Mrs. Janis over there"

Mrs. Janis was the lady wearing a dead bird in her hat, or so it looked like, and she blushed deeply when Wites called her name.

"And to Miss Ginevra Weasley, who has shown extraordinary courage and intelligence, I can only give you my great grandfather's dream, the business he founded. The Winged Broom goes to you"

The old ladies began laughing hysterically. Neville himself chuckled a little. Ginny, on the other hand, didn't look amused at all.

"Come on, Gin" he nudged her playfully "She meant it well"

She looked at him and shook her head.

"I don't understand"

The Winged Broom was founded at the same time the Nimbus Company was. They even studied it in History of Magic. There was some old dispute going as to who thought of charming a broom first, but Nimbus had risen, while the Broom had become more pathetic with each decade. It had only survived to this day because they had begun selling Firebolts and, shamefully, even Nimbus brooms.

It was kind of an old joke in the Weasley family, but everyone thought some forgotten ancestor had had the decency of getting rid of the store by now. Ginny would definitely correct that mistake.

Then Mr. Wites did the oddest thing. He came over them, leaned towards Ginny, and whispered something. Then he handed her a closed envelope.

"You must sign some papers to aquire full ownership, dear. But if you don't want it, you can give up the rights, the label and the property" Wites managed to look like a comprehensive grandfather instead of a scary businessman. "You don't have to take it; it could be such a burden"

As Ginny read the letter within, her face went through a million expressions, none of them suited the comic situation they were in.

"I don't understand" she repeated, looking even more lost this time.

"Of course you do. I'll help you close it. We can rent the space" he said trying to sound cheerful.

Suddenly, Ginny stood up, looking at Mr. Wites in the eye.

"I'll sign"

_SAY WHAT!_

"Gin, wait" Neville stood up, trying to stop Mr. Wites from reaching his desk, and those papers. "Think about it, that shop is almost broke"

"You don't understand, Nev"

"Wait, YOU were the one who didn't understand"

"I do now"

And with that she took the pen Mr. Wites was offering and signed the contract, just as a red aura formed around her. The signal that she was now the magically the owner of the lamest broom shop in the whole world.

I've had this in my drive for a week but haven't had time to update! I'm sorry! It happens every summer. Suddenly for some reason I need to know the date and it's already July 15! And I'm like: "WTF!" =)

Frequently Asked Questions. (or un-asked questions you may have that I want to answer)

I don't really know if Aunt Muriel's last name is Prewett. It just seemed logical somehow. Sorry. If you know her REAL last name, let me know.

I don't know how the inheritance thing works. It works kind of like that in Mexico. I think. :S

I am Mexican, so please excuse my grammar mistakes! I can speak English pretty well, I work in the US and stuff, but still some things get forgotten with time. =)

The whole business thing sort of explains a little of the first chapter. Soon Draco will come back to annoy Ginny some more and Harry won't be around for a few chapters. Be patient with me!

Thanks a lot!


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